That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

Matthew 22:23 – 33

Now it is the Sadducees’ turn to trap Jesus.  The Pharisees and Herodians had just failed to do so.

Mathew notes, in introducing the event, that the Sadducees reject the idea of a physical Resurrection yet they appeared to believe in it in their question.

The woman in the story had at least 7 legal husbands.  Everything was done within the law of Moses.  Evidently, she could not have children.  She died childless but had a husband.  So, they asked Jesus, “Whose wife shall will she be?” in the resurrection?  This question has as its heart whether the idea of resurrection was just a fanciful idea or true.  The question has no consequence at all if there is no resurrection.

Jesus replied, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”  He did not speculate, but just told the truth.

They claimed to be true to the Law of Moses, given by God himself.  They concentrated all their attention on the Law.  Jesus went further by pointing to God’s words.  He said, “’I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  By denying the resurrection of the dead the Sadducees discounted the Word of God that all Jews knew.

Jesus, in his usual rather casual way, said that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are living!  The Pharisees could not swallow that.  Can I?

Easter is near, a time when I am reminded that my sins are forgiven, I am a living child of God.  I live in the miracle of the love and grace of Jesus Christ who has made it possible for me to live forever.  God who loves me and saves me is alive!  Because of his love for me, I am alive!